IRMA IPA Lands in Jax

IRMA IPA (Photo: Linda Johnson)

November 28, 2017:It's a name that no one in Florida will soon - if ever - forget. Irma. By the time the mammoth hurricane reached the southern part of the state in mid-September 2017, it had already inflicted severe damage to island nations. As it began and ended its this-way-and-that-way trek through the Sunshine State, all of Florida was affected in one way or another, sadly with some areas sustaining major damage and impacts never before seen. From the pre-storm warnings and computer forecasting models, evacuations, flooding and wind, caravans of out-of-state utility vehicles, water shortages, to repair and recovery, it was an experience made of historical proportions, and for some, the story still has not reached its final chapter. During the storm, there were numerous reports of breweries throughout Florida offering assistance, largely by providing free drinking water, which had become scarce. Even before the storm, several brewers in the Tampa area began discussions of brewing a "hurricane relief" beer, where proceeds would be donated to charitable efforts. They even thought that the hop profile of the beer should spell "IRMA." Those initial discussions morphed into a statewide cause, spearheaded by Khris Johnson and Green Bench Brewingin St. Pete. As word of the project grew, suppliers also offered assistance, donating everything from raw brewing materials to artwork. On September 21, Green Bench Brewing announced via social media post that it had collaborated with 7Venth Sun Brewery and Coppertail Brewing in the Tampa area to brew the "IRMA IPA" on September 22. At the same time, Florida breweries MIA Beer Company (Miami), Civil Society Brewing (Jupiter) and Intuition Ale Works (Jacksonville) came on board to host regional brew days with local breweries in their respective areas. On October 20, brewers from Jacksonville area breweries Southern Swells Brewing, Aardwolf Brewing, and Engine 15 Brewing brewed the regional Jax IRMA IPA at Intuition Ale Works.

IRMA IPA Brew Day at Intuition Ale Works(Photo: Intuition Ale Works)

Cans of the IRMA IPA were released at the Intuition Ale Works tap room over the Thanksgiving weekend ($10 per six-pack). According to Lindsay Hawkins, Director of Finance and Events at Intuition Ale Works, the cans sold out, and remaining allotments were sent to the collaboration breweries, Aardwolf Brewing, Engine 15 Brewing, and Southern Swells Brewing, for sale at those locations. Not to worry, IRMA IPA will also be available on draft later this week throughout the Jax area.

IRMA IPA cans at Intuition Ale Works over the Thanksgiving weekend(Photo: Linda Johnson)

All proceeds from the sales of Jax-area IRMA IPA benefit Feeding Northeast Florida, a local hunger relief organization and food bank serving the counties of Northeast Florida.

Of course, there was a beer tasting!(Photo: Linda Johnson)

As mentioned above (and pretty clever, by the way), the hops used in the IRMA IPA begin with letters that spell "IRMA:" Idaho 7, Rakau, Mosaic, Amarillo. Based on that hop profile, expect a beer with characteristics of citrus, fruit, and pine mostly. The beer weighs in at 6.7% ABV. Of course, this site conducted a tasting! The beer pours a dark gold color, with citrusy and fruity aromas, along with notes of pine. The flavor is fruity, with a touch of floral, and a definite pine character. The pine notes become more apparent as the beer sits. However, the beer is quite easy-to-drink and repeatable, even for non-hopheads, and it's unlikely that it will sit in the glass very long! (at least that's what happened here).

Cheers to the Florida breweries and all involved in bringing a fully donated product to market for the benefit of those affected by Hurricane Irma. Be sure to purchase IRMA IPA around the Jax area! You'll probably even want more than one (just sayin'). Cheers!Til next time,

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